Illyriad MMORTS adding emergent mob distribution

Large-scale game changes are a risky endeavor when it comes to MMOs. Today's Illyriad update is no exception, though we're excited to see what happens as the title switches from randomly generated world biology to an "organic and emergent model."

Animal distributions will now take habitats, breeding, and migration into account, and players will notice various critters moving around the map and behaving in a more logical manner. "Now, each pack or herd of animals will be tracked in real time, its population increasing over time, and the pack splitting when the population grows to a certain point. Players will be able to dramatically impact the sizes of animal populations, which will have multiple consequences," says Illyriad founder James Niesewand.

The tweaks are part of a warmup to the game's extended trade and economic revamp which is due later this year.